The ACC won't dissolve. UNC is the fulcrum and they are too good academically to go to the SEC. The SEC definitely would have offered them a spot in this round of expansion. They are academically compatible with the Big 10, but there isn't scope for the B10 to take UNC and the other Carolina based schools. Its clear they are going to stay together. GA Tech & Miami also seem to be staying in the ACC since they also would have been logical candidates for the SEC. UVA & VA Tech also seem to be staying since the VA state legislature was very heavy handed in getting UVA to back VA Tech getting into the ACC in the last round of expansion.

If MD wants to leave the ACC we would be very attractive to the B10. The DC/Baltimore area has millions of potential households for the B10 network to add. Plus the B10 is a good academic conference so the MD Board of Regents would approve of the move from that perspective. I doubt MD would leave the ACC though. There seems to be an acceptance that the last round of expansion didn't enhance the ACC's FB prominence, so I think everybody is ready to go back to being primarily a BB conference.

Mizzou must be POed from being excluded from the last round of B10 expansion. Their move has to put the B10 in a bad position in terms of capturing the STL & KC markets for the B10 network.

I think UT will become independent since the Longhorn network drove A&M out of the B12. I think OU will go to the B10 since they were rumored to be the SEC's #1 choice for expansion and they didn't move. Kansas & KSU are very vulnerable in this scenario. They could be relegated to the Mountain West.

I think the ACC could stay at 10 teams if MD stays or the ACC could add a few schools from the Big East if they want to backfill FSU & Clemson with a geographic footprint that would link BC to the other schools.

Its pretty clear there isn't a scenario where the ACC can become a big FB conference. FSU & Clemson were 2 of the 3 legitimate big time FB programs (stadium size, attendance, fundraising, etc) in the conference along with VA Tech so losing them is a death knell to the ACC ever becoming a legitimate FB conference.

Its amazing how the Univ Presidents remain firmly opposed to any pay for play scenarios while conferences are realigned purely to capture more TV $$$ with conference & independent networks. Conference realignment is all about $$$ so their actions are quite hypocritical IMO.

canaan wrote:Draft, do you think kansas has any better prospects than the mountain west because of their basketball program?

Personally, I'd love to see Pitt, Louisville, and wvu come to the acc and the acc dump some dead weight--it'll never happen, but a conference with unc duke louisville pitt etc would be disgusting.

Maybe Kansas could be a Big 10 prospect if they go to 16. They also could go to a reconfigured Big East all sports conference if they ditched the BB only schools.

Pitt would be accepted by the ACC but WVU & Louisville wouldn't. I know there are WVU alums on the board and I don't mean to offend them. Some of my best friends went there and I go to Morgantown once or twice every FB season. The ACC is anal about academics. They would never take schools like WVU & Louisville that have relatively mediocre academics. Its not a coincidence that FSU & Clemson appear to be leaving since they are the weakest academic links in the ACC.

If the ACC expands I think Syracuse would be the #1 choice because the ACC wanted to admit them and Syracuse wanted to come during the last round of expansion. The Virginia state legislature got involved because VA Tech appeared to be screwed in the reconfigured Big East so UVA pressured the rest of the conference to add VA Tech.

I think Pitt would be admitted into the ACC for sure if we expanded to 16. If we only were to go to 12, I think it would be Syracuse plus 1 of Pitt, UConn, or Rutgers.

PSU already achieved 100% market penetration in the greater Pittsburgh area in terms of making the B10 network available on cable systems, so Pitt isn't really attractive to the B10 network.

Draftnik wrote:The ACC won't dissolve. UNC is the fulcrum and they are too good academically to go to the SEC. The SEC definitely would have offered them a spot in this round of expansion. They are academically compatible with the Big 10, but there isn't scope for the B10 to take UNC and the other Carolina based schools. Its clear they are going to stay together. GA Tech & Miami also seem to be staying in the ACC since they also would have been logical candidates for the SEC. UVA & VA Tech also seem to be staying since the VA state legislature was very heavy handed in getting UVA to back VA Tech getting into the ACC in the last round of expansion.

The only real difference this time is that if the SEC wants just VT, UVA likely wouldn't agitate for a move. They like being aligned academically w/Duke and UNC and wouldn't want to be in the same boat as the SEC schools. Still, I think the legislature would prefer to keep the two together and would need some convincing to allow them to split.

I'm opposed to a VT move- the ACC has been a great home and I doubt they can do better for all of their programs in the SEC. Ultimately though it depends on how much money they can make.

canaan wrote:Draft, do you think kansas has any better prospects than the mountain west because of their basketball program?

Personally, I'd love to see Pitt, Louisville, and wvu come to the acc and the acc dump some dead weight--it'll never happen, but a conference with unc duke louisville pitt etc would be disgusting.

Sadly for Kansas basketball doesn't generate the money these days. They're in a slightly better spot this year as opposed to last year (when their athletic dept. was being investigated by the FBI for ticket fraud), but they really don't bring anything enticing to a BCS conference.

If/when the A&M thing goes through, I'm not entirely sure the SEC looks at the ACC for a 14th. They've already penetrated the markets that Clemson and FSU bring, I don't think they are likely candidates. Then you get into teams like VT or even an NC State.

Or they just stay at 13. They are definitely in the position to wait for something to come along.

I'm just not sure that this round of expansion will affect the ACC or Big East negatively.

pfim wrote:If/when the A&M thing goes through, I'm not entirely sure the SEC looks at the ACC for a 14th. They've already penetrated the markets that Clemson and FSU bring, I don't think they are likely candidates. Then you get into teams like VT or even an NC State.

Or they just stay at 13. They are definitely in the position to wait for something to come along.

I'm just not sure that this round of expansion will affect the ACC or Big East negatively.

VT would give them the DC market and greater access to the VA recruits. I doubt NC State would leave Duke and UNC ever.

pfim wrote:If/when the A&M thing goes through, I'm not entirely sure the SEC looks at the ACC for a 14th. They've already penetrated the markets that Clemson and FSU bring, I don't think they are likely candidates. Then you get into teams like VT or even an NC State.

Or they just stay at 13. They are definitely in the position to wait for something to come along.

I'm just not sure that this round of expansion will affect the ACC or Big East negatively.

VT would give them the DC market and greater access to the VA recruits. I doubt NC State would leave Duke and UNC ever.

pfim wrote:If/when the A&M thing goes through, I'm not entirely sure the SEC looks at the ACC for a 14th. They've already penetrated the markets that Clemson and FSU bring, I don't think they are likely candidates. Then you get into teams like VT or even an NC State.

Or they just stay at 13. They are definitely in the position to wait for something to come along.

I'm just not sure that this round of expansion will affect the ACC or Big East negatively.

VT would give them the DC market and greater access to the VA recruits. I doubt NC State would leave Duke and UNC ever.

Always shilling for VT How Hokey.

It's the truth. That's why there was talk about VT being #14. However the AD said they'd politely decline, and while I'd expect that from him if there really was interest there'd have been a "no comment".

pfim wrote:If/when the A&M thing goes through, I'm not entirely sure the SEC looks at the ACC for a 14th. They've already penetrated the markets that Clemson and FSU bring, I don't think they are likely candidates. Then you get into teams like VT or even an NC State.

Or they just stay at 13. They are definitely in the position to wait for something to come along.

I'm just not sure that this round of expansion will affect the ACC or Big East negatively.

VT would give them the DC market and greater access to the VA recruits. I doubt NC State would leave Duke and UNC ever.

Always shilling for VT How Hokey.

It's the truth. That's why there was talk about VT being #14. However the AD said they'd politely decline, and while I'd expect that from him if there really was interest there'd have been a "no comment".

No, I'm not disagreeing, just "yanking yer chain". As a WVU fan it's part of my contract. I think VT would be a very logical choice to join the SEC.

Draftnik wrote:The ACC won't dissolve. UNC is the fulcrum and they are too good academically to go to the SEC. The SEC definitely would have offered them a spot in this round of expansion. They are academically compatible with the Big 10, but there isn't scope for the B10 to take UNC and the other Carolina based schools. Its clear they are going to stay together. GA Tech & Miami also seem to be staying in the ACC since they also would have been logical candidates for the SEC. UVA & VA Tech also seem to be staying since the VA state legislature was very heavy handed in getting UVA to back VA Tech getting into the ACC in the last round of expansion.

The only real difference this time is that if the SEC wants just VT, UVA likely wouldn't agitate for a move. They like being aligned academically w/Duke and UNC and wouldn't want to be in the same boat as the SEC schools. Still, I think the legislature would prefer to keep the two together and would need some convincing to allow them to split.

I'm opposed to a VT move- the ACC has been a great home and I doubt they can do better for all of their programs in the SEC. Ultimately though it depends on how much money they can make.

I agree VT would have brought the most to the SEC in terms of potential ACC schools, assuming of course that Carolina would never consider a move which I think is a given. All Clemson & FSU would have brought is a willingness to accept all good FB players, regardless of their academic background.

It never made sense that TA&M could precipitate what likely would have been another major CFB realignment. Finebaum had the kid that runs the TA&M Rivals site on his show last week. The kid claimed the TA&M Board of Regents was going to vote to move in 2012 or 2013 and Fbomb claimed his SEC source said they decided not to invite A&M a few weeks ago because it didn't make sense without a high quality 14th school. In the end both Fbomb & the kid were right.

A&M has really been put in their place. They will always be in UT's shadow and they couldn't use the TX TV market & recruiting ground to entice an SEC bid. Humiliation would be an understatement.